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Massachusetts Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Massachusetts Quizzes, Trivia

Massachusetts History Trivia

Massachusetts History Trivia Quizzes

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8 Massachusetts History quizzes and 85 Massachusetts History trivia questions.
1.
  Massachusetts Maritime Lore   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Massachusetts is not only by the sea it has depended on it as a workplace and playground. How much do you know about the sixth state's relationship with the Atlantic Ocean?
Average, 10 Qns, CmdrK, Dec 28 09
Average
CmdrK gold member
632 plays
2.
  Boston's Freedom Trail   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many of Boston's most popular attractions lie along the Freedom Trail. These wondrous sites all played integral roles during the American Revolution in the late 18th Century and other subsequent eras of U.S. history. Test your knowledge on some of them!
Tough, 10 Qns, CAGuy0206, May 27 17
Tough
CAGuy0206
233 plays
3.
  Boston's Crime History    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
From political corruption, to sensational trials and organized crime, Boston has struggled with it all. Test your knowledge of some key events that captured headlines for Boston!
Tough, 15 Qns, BosBruinsGal, Apr 30 13
Tough
BosBruinsGal
729 plays
4.
  Tidbits About Western Massachusetts   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Massachusetts has a rich history, and much of that history has been examined in other quizzes, but this one is specifically about the region between the City of Worcester and the border of New York State.
Tough, 10 Qns, Fauxnotfaux, Apr 26 10
Tough
Fauxnotfaux
335 plays
5.
  A People's History of Massachusetts    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"Special Edition" of history you will rarely find in a textbook. This quiz will focus on Massachusetts history from Howard Zinn's book, "A People's History of the United States".
Tough, 10 Qns, triathlonrules, Jan 02 18
Tough
triathlonrules
1108 plays
6.
  Plymouth, Massachusetts    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Plymouth is one of the most important historic places in America. It's an outstanding vacation spot for the American History buff!
Average, 10 Qns, jackolantern, Apr 08 11
Average
jackolantern
2259 plays
7.
  Massachusetts Politics    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
See if you know about the ins and outs of Taxachusetts!
Tough, 10 Qns, umasspete, Apr 09 11
Tough
umasspete
529 plays
8.
  About Massachusetts    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Some facts and History of Massachusetts.
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, cull57, Jan 02 02
Very Difficult
cull57
2264 plays
trivia question Quick Question
Plymouth is approximately 35 miles south of what major city?

From Quiz "Plymouth, Massachusetts"




Related Topics
  Massachusetts Famous People [People] (2 quizzes)

  New England Patriots [Sports] (18 quizzes)

  Mixed Massachusetts [General] (3 quizzes)

  Massachusetts [Geography] (21 quizzes)


Massachusetts History Trivia Questions

2. What is Massachusetts's nickname?

From Quiz Massachusetts Maritime Lore

Answer: The Bay State

Massachusetts was originally called the Massachusetts Bay Colony when it was an English possession. Rhode Island is the "Ocean State", Connecticut is the "Constitution State" and New York is the "Empire State."

3. What did the Puritans NOT use as an excuse to take land from the Native Americans?

From Quiz A People's History of Massachusetts

Answer: The Mayflower Compact

In 1636 the murder of the white trade and Indian-kidnapper, became an excuse that the Puritans used to make war against the Native Americans (Pequots). Also, according to Zinn "John Winthrop created the excuse to take Indian land by declaring the area legally a "vacuum" (Zinn, p. 13). Additionally, according to Zinn, claiming the Native Americans had a natural right, but not a civil right denied them legal rights to the land (Zinn, pp. 13-14).

4. What governor was re-elected in 1994 on one of the largest margins of victory ever in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts?

From Quiz Massachusetts Politics

Answer: Bill Weld

Weld was first elected with a slim majority in 1990. In '94, Weld beat then State Rep. Mark Roosevelt with over 70% of the vote.

5. How many counties are there in Massachusetts?

From Quiz About Massachusetts

Answer: 14

Barnstable-Berkshire-Bristol-Dukes-Essex-Franklin-Hampden-Hampshire-Middlesex-Nantucket-Norfolk-Plymouth-Suffolk-Worcester.

6. When the Pilgrims began their journey to the New World, they tried to cross the Atlantic in two ships. The Mayflower was successful. What was the name of the leaky boat they ended up leaving back in England?

From Quiz Plymouth, Massachusetts

Answer: Speedwell

William Brewster had to be brought on the Mayflower from the Speedwell in a barrel, because he was wanted for treason for his religious beliefs. They tried three times to leave England with both boats, but had to return to England three times to do repairs. Finally they gave up on the Speedwell.

7. Another famous cemetery on the Freedom Trail is King's Chapel Burying Ground. In what year was the cemetery founded?

From Quiz Boston's Freedom Trail

Answer: 1630

Situated adjacent to King's Chapel, King's Chapel Burying Ground is Boston's oldest cemetery and was founded in 1630, at least a century prior to huge American Revolution events like the Boston Tea Party and Boston Massacre. The first internment there was of Isaac Johnson, who owned the land where the cemetery is located. A few people buried at King's Chapel Burying Ground are John Winthrop, John Oxenbridge and Mary Chilton.

8. In a certain old seafaring song, the girls from this locale "don't use no sleds ... They slide down the hills on the codfish heads." Where are they from?

From Quiz Massachusetts Maritime Lore

Answer: Cape Cod

This song, "Cape Cod Girls" is an example of a sea shanty (or chanty), songs containing insulting or inane lyrics used to establish a cadence so deckhands would work in unison while raising or repositioning sails.

9. Name the two men Sacco and Vanzetti were found guilty of murdering.

From Quiz Boston's Crime History

Answer: Frederick Parmenter and Alessandro Berardelli

Frederick Parmenter was the pay master for the Slater-Morrill Shoe Company. Alessandro Berardelli was the security guard for the shoe company located on Pearl Street in South Braintree, Massachusetts. In addition to the murders of the two men, Sacco and Vanzetti were also charged with stealing $15,777 from the shoe company.

10. Between 1687 and 1770 what happened to the percentage of poor adult males in Boston, which Zinn defines as those who owned no property.

From Quiz A People's History of Massachusetts

Answer: Increased from 14% (1687) to 29% (1770)

Zinn states that "everywhere the poor were struggling to stay alive, simply to keep from freezing in the cold" (Zinn, p.49). In the 1730s many cities began to build poorhouses. Zinn states that those who were poor may have also rented a room or slept in the back of a tavern (Zinn p.49)

11. In which chamber is the "Sacred Cod of Massachusetts" hanging?

From Quiz Massachusetts Politics

Answer: House of Representatives

12. What is the state bird of Massachusetts?

From Quiz About Massachusetts

Answer: Chickadee

The chickadee, also known as the titmouse, tomtit, and the dickybird, was adopted by as the official state bird on March 21, 1941.

13. Who was the great Sachem of the Wampanoag Indian tribe who signed peace treaties with the Pilgrims?

From Quiz Plymouth, Massachusetts

Answer: Massasoit

14. One notable site on the Freedom Trail is the Boston Latin School. On January 8, 2002 which American politician visited the school?

From Quiz Boston's Freedom Trail

Answer: George W. Bush

The Boston Latin School opened in 1635 and, when it opened, Puritans demanded a special emphasis on education for their children. The school still operates in the 21st century and mandates its students to complete four years of Latin as a requirement towards graduation. The Boston Latin School feels that the classics are at the foundation of an educated mind. Right after George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law on January 8, 2002 he paid a visit to this prestigious educational institution.

15. One of the best known American poets who wrote during the nineteenth century was Emily Dickinson from Amherst, Massachusetts. Notoriously reclusive, what was carved on her headstone above her 1886 death date at her request?

From Quiz Tidbits About Western Massachusetts

Answer: Called Back

Dickinson was born and died in Amherst. Though she did attend the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, now Mt. Holyoke College, and was known to have traveled to Boston and Springfield, Massachusetts, her life is mostly remembered as one of self-imposed seclusion. She died in her father's house in May of 1886.

16. In "Moby Dick", Captain Ahab's ship, the Pequod, left which Massachusetts port on its ill-fated journey?

From Quiz Massachusetts Maritime Lore

Answer: Nantucket

Nantucket was once one of the leading whaling ports in the world.

17. After six years of appeals, protests and retrials, Sacco and Vanzetti were still found guilty (although many still dispute their guilt) and sentenced to death. What method of death were they sentenced to?

From Quiz Boston's Crime History

Answer: Electrocution

They were both electrocuted in the electric chair on August 23, 1927. Their deaths sparked riots and protests in many countries - Britain, Germany, France, South Africa and Argentina. The American Embassy in Paris was overrun with protesters and the facade of the Moulin Rouge was damaged in outrage over the executions.

18. In 2003, approximately how many people did a Massachusetts State Representative have in his or her constituency?

From Quiz Massachusetts Politics

Answer: 35,000

Divided up among 160 House districts.

19. What is the highest point in Massachusetts?

From Quiz About Massachusetts

Answer: Mt Greylock

20. Who were the first two Governors of the original Plymouth County?

From Quiz Plymouth, Massachusetts

Answer: John Carver and William Bradford

John Carver collapsed while working in the fields in the spring of 1621. Bradford took over and governed for 30 years. 51 of 102 original passangers died the first winter.

21. There are a few churches on the Freedom Trail so we will stop off at the Park Street Church. What nickname did one area of the church receive?

From Quiz Boston's Freedom Trail

Answer: Brimstone Corner

The Park Street Church, built in 1809, is a unique Freedom Trail site as it is primarily known for being an influential place during the War of 1812 rather than the American Revolution. The church members stored gunpowder in the basement during this conflict and this area would be known as Brimstone Corner. The initial charter of the church was organized by many members from the Old South Meeting House that preferred a place which promoted orthodox Trinitarian theology.

22. Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale who sang on tours arranged by P.T.Barnum, spent her 1852 honeymoon in Northampton, Massachusetts. Her romantic description of the town is used to promote it to this day. What did she call Northampton?

From Quiz Tidbits About Western Massachusetts

Answer: The Paradise of America

Jenny Lind married a German musician, Otto Goldschmidt, whom she had originally hired to be her accompanist, in May of 1852. The Goldschmidt family lived in England and counted Queen Victoria and Prince Albert among their personal friends. Jenny Lind died in 1887.

23. What happened to the battleship USS Massachusetts when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941?

From Quiz Massachusetts Maritime Lore

Answer: She was not at Pearl Harbor

The USS Massachusetts, nicknamed "Big Mamie" was launched on September 23, 1941 but was not commissioned until May 12, 1942 at Boston. She fired the first 16-inch (410 mm) shells at an enemy target in World War II and is believed to have also fired the last 16-inchers of the war.

24. What congressional district did former US House Speaker Tip O'Neill represent?

From Quiz Massachusetts Politics

Answer: Eighth

The historic eighth district encompasses much of the city of Boston, as well as parts of Cambridge and Somerville. Joseph Kennedy also represented this district.

25. How many people were killed by the The Great Molasses Flood of 1919?

From Quiz About Massachusetts

Answer: 21

It took months to get rid of the sticky goo. Salt water proved to be the best cleanser even though it was years before 'it' was gone entirely!

26. What famous Plymouth woman wrote a contemporary account of The American Revolution?

From Quiz Plymouth, Massachusetts

Answer: Mercy Otis Warren

Mercy was married to James Warren, a famous general.

27. Readers will love our next Freedom Trail destination: the Old Corner Bookstore. The bookstore was formerly the home of someone named Anne Hutchinson. She was expelled from Massachusetts in 1638 for what crime?

From Quiz Boston's Freedom Trail

Answer: Heresy

The Old Corner Bookstore, built in 1718, was the headquarters of the famed publisher Ticknor and Fields. Notable writers who they published include Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and more. Prior to the bookstore opening, Anne Hutchinson, a Puritan spiritual adviser, owned a home where it presently stands but was expelled from Massachusetts for heresy.

28. An internationally known music venue in the town of Lenox, Massachusetts has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937. It hosts an eponymous annual Music Festival. Can you name it?

From Quiz Tidbits About Western Massachusetts

Answer: Tanglewood

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote "The Tanglewood Tales" while living in a nearby cottage in 1853 and the name was soon applied to an adjacent estate which ultimately became the 210 acre music venue. The Koussevitzy Shed and Ozawa Hall are buildings at the Tanglewood facility. The Arthur Fiedler Memorial is a pedestrian bridge near Boston Common.

29. The fishing boat "Andrea Gail," lost during the so-called "perfect storm" in 1991, was based in which town?

From Quiz Massachusetts Maritime Lore

Answer: Gloucester

The term "perfect storm" was given to the Halloween Nor'easter by a meteorologist at the US National Weather Service's Boston office. The term was used as a book title, a movie and has come to mean any convergence of dire events.

30. Which Boston political figure was found guilty of impersonating a constitutent during his first political run for the office of alderman?

From Quiz Boston's Crime History

Answer: James Michael Curley

Curley and an associate, Thomas Curley (no relation) both took the Civil Service exam to help two men in their district obtain jobs as postmen. Found guilty of fraud, Curley served his time and still won the election! The incident endeared him to the working class as someone willing to help the poor man. Curley, dubbed 'The Rascal King' due to many highly suspicious incidents, went on to enjoy a long political career in Boston despite all the controversy that followed him. His popularity remained high among the working class and he served as Mayor of Boston, State House Representative and Govenor of Massachusetts.

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